


Once In A Lifetime...

by LaBelleIzzy



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Anxiety, Awkward Crush, Awkward Flirting, Crushes, Getting Together, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-29
Updated: 2018-01-29
Packaged: 2019-03-10 23:56:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,518
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13512438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaBelleIzzy/pseuds/LaBelleIzzy
Summary: Rans raises his head just enough to meet her eyes. “I said, I thought it was a good idea. I can’t believe that I thought it was a good idea.”“What, coming out dancing with the guy you have a crazy-ass continent sized crush on? Cheah, I could have told you that.” Lardo smirked and leaned up against the wall.





	Once In A Lifetime...

**Author's Note:**

  * For [bookwyrmling](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bookwyrmling/gifts).



“I thought it was a good idea at the time, but it now occurs to me that I was horribly wrong.”

Ransom’s face is in his hands and his words are muffled. Muffled enough that Lardo kicks at his shoe from where she’s standing next to him. “Bro, what the actual fuck.”

Rans raises his head just enough to meet her eyes. “I said, I thought it was a good idea. I can’t believe that I thought it was a good idea.”

“What, coming out dancing with the guy you have a crazy-ass continent sized crush on? Cheah, I could have told you that.” Lardo smirked and leaned up against the wall next to the stairs Justin was sitting on.

“I mean, he’s either the best dancer or the worst dancer I have ever seen.”  
Lardo nods, she gets it.  
“And he’s just so fucking enthusiastic?”  
She tips her head, listening.  
“And I can’t stand that I can’t tell if he’s into ME or if he’s just having fun DANCING, and it’s killing me.”

Footsteps echoing from above make Justin look up the stairs to see if he has to move or react or if he can continue freaking out.

Alexei Mashkov’s giant feet come into view in the stairwell above. Justin puts his face back into his hands, and Lardo pats his shoulder sympathetically. “Bro,” she says, as she passes him and Tater gets closer, and Justin knows that within that one word is both her best possible encouragement and also a threat to kick his ass later if Justin doesn’t actually TALK to Tater.

He hears Lardo dropping a few choice words on Tater as she ascends to the landing.

After a moment Tater comes closer. “Justin, I’m come looking for you with drink. Your Adam tells me you come here? Is okay? We should talk, maybe.”

“Man, you’re looming, come on down here where I can see you.” Justin rubs roughly at his face.

Tater gestures to the stair next to Justin, clearly asking if he can sit. Justin nods, too nervous to make eye contact. Tater’s leg is a line of warmth nearly touching Justin’s, his giant frame just nudging at Justin’s shoulder and knee.

Tater waits in silence for what feels like a long time, but it’s a waiting kind of silence, not a judging or harsh kind.

Justin takes a deep breath. “Tater,” he starts, and then the anxiety dries up all the spit in his throat.

Tater rumbles a deep kind of hum, which is clearly Russian for, “I’m listening.”

His breath hitches several times as Justin tries to inhale. He takes a moment to make sure his breath is moving smoothly, and after a moment, works up enough spit in his mouth to say a few more words. He steals a glance sideways. Tater is looking straight ahead at the wall, which is considerate as fuck considering Justin can’t even meet his eyes, but his body language is relaxed and welcoming.

Justin gathers a last deep breath and what remains of his courage, leans over and bumps Tater’s shoulder with his own. “Man, I like you. Like, kind of a LOT.”

His voice doesn’t squeak or go up an octave. Adam will be so proud of him. And Lardo won’t have to kick his ass, which is possibly even better.

“Mmmm? Justin, yes. Is good. I like you too. Not be here if I didn’t like you.” Tater bumps back, gently, like he’s aware of his own strength and always measures it carefully, except when he doesn’t have to.

Justin’s freak-out fades slightly, and the cold concrete under his ass enters his awareness again. He looks up, and up again, at the giant sitting beside him. “You? You like me?”

“Smart, handsome, funny, loyal. Many things to like, yes?” There’s a soft, almost shy quality around his eyes as he looks over at Justin. Tater leans back against the stair at their back, opens towards Justin by putting his hand up and behind Justin on the stair riser. Cautious, but with a warm, questioning expression on his face.

“You like me, I like you too. In friendly ways, yes, but also, I think with a little bit more liking?” 

Justin never expected this.  
He’s used to wheeling people, and to liking them, but he hasn’t had a crush like this since ninth grade science class and he hasn’t felt this awkward since that one awful dance in 11th grade.

He clears his throat and says, carefully, “yes, more than a little bit more liking.”

Tater’s smile widens and warms. “Hug, please? If you want to, I would like to hug you.”

Justin’s eyes close in a slow blink. Well... How did I get here? (What, earwormed by the Talking Heads, he thinks wildly.) Biting his lip, he nods and leans over, immediately wrapped up in a warm embrace that smells equally of an ambery, woodsy cologne, and of fresh sweaty dude. 

It’s delicious. Justin’s died and gone to queer boy heaven. He wraps his arms around Tater, Alexei? What should he call him now oh never mind I can put my HANDS on his BACK and he has to stop himself from exploring too obviously but good lord is he STACKED and Justin is just so HAPPY. His head is tucked up under Alexei’s chin and he can feel Alexei’s cheek rubbing on his hair just like a cat.

Justin’s just listening to Alexei’s heart for a minute or two, warm and contented (except where his butt is still on the cold concrete stair) when he feels Alexei shift enough to give a little soft kiss to the corner of his forehead. He’s DEFINITELY died and gone to heaven, he’s flooded with so much feeling that he sighs out loud and melts a little more into the hug, hands flexing (very appreciatively) on Alexei’s ribs. 

Alexei hugs him a little tighter in response, and then lets go a little bit and leans back, so Justin opens his eyes and brings his head up with a little reluctance, but also that fluttery kind of anticipation that wonders what they will make happen next.

Because this? This didn’t just happen. They made it happen, by being ballsy enough to say they were digging each other. And that’s a good thing.

Alexei’s got a giant grin. “Want to stay and dance? Or want to go somewhere and maybe… talk?” He gives the word “talk” the kind of intonation that makes it sound like the talking will be happening largely on the horizontal axis and will involve a shit ton of kissing and touching and mouths going onto skin and all kinds of other things and Justin gets a straight up BOLT of lust up his spine and his eyes get wide and so does his own smile. 

Emboldened though still in awe, he reaches up a hand to cup Alexei’s chin, run his thumb lightly over those lips he’s been pining after. Alexei’s face gets a touch more serious. Still smiling, he kisses Justin’s thumb (omg hot) and then turns his head to nuzzle into Justin’s hand and put a warm, deliberate kiss there (dying!), as his own (massive) hand comes round to cup (dwarf!) Justin’s. There is mischief in his warm brown eyes and his eyebrows come up, reminding Justin that he’s neglected to actually accept the invitation.

He brings his lower lip into his mouth to wet it, deliberately testing. Alexei’s attention zeroes in. Yes. “Mmmmmmm, yeah,” he smirks a little, “Talking,” he says using the same intonation Alexei uses, “talking sounds like it will be a lot of fun…” he grins and flirts an eyebrow and Alexei LAUGHS. 

“Fun, yes. Some talking and some… not talking?” Alexei’s taking Justin’s breath away for reasons that have nothing to do with his anxiety. His breath tickles Justin’s palm and he can feel the shape of Alexei’s MOUTH again when he kisses Justin’s palm again, an electric touch of tongue just right there…

“Fuck YES. But if you don’t kiss me in the next five seconds I swear I’ll…” his threat goes unvoiced because with that kind of clear welcome he’s overwhelmed in the best way, scooped up into warm, soft kisses nibbling on his mouth, satisfying him some and stirring up hunger for more: more kisses, more skin, more pressure, more holding, more everything.

When they pull apart, Alexei is flushed and pink, Justin is warm all over, and Alexei says, “FUCK yes.”  
Justin’s smile blazes and he says, “That’s the idea, eh?” Suddenly he is so eager for them to get out of this stupid concrete stairwell, he stands up and rubs his butt where it’s gone numb, and grins down at Alexei, offering a hand to help him up.

Once in a lifetime you get a chance like this. As they climb back up the stairs together to get back to the club and its coat-check, Justin can feel Alexei's fingertips lightly appreciating the results of the squats done in service to friendship long ago, and he couldn’t be happier.

**Author's Note:**

> Request: “I thought it was a good idea at the time, but it now occurs to me that I was horribly wrong.” Ranskov (prompt chosen by Linnea) from http:// marswithghosts.tumblr. com/post/143943313830/fic-prompts
> 
> likable and rebloggable on Tumblr here:  
> https:// labelleizzy.tumblr.com/post/170256595222/once-in-a-lifetime-taterransom


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